Undergraduate

BA(Hons) Fine Art

  • Duration

    3 years

  • Cost

    £9000

  • Course code

    W102

  • Institution code

    H18

Artwork from Matias Serra Delmar

The world needs fine art thinkers more than ever before. 

The ability to see the world through a unique filter, and then express and communicate this to others is vital in this time of change. It can potentially influence our culture, our mental well-being, politics, and even the economy. 

Overview


From day one at HCA, you will be an artist, exploring our world and developing your own voice. You will then get to express this through a wide range of media including paint, print, drawing, ceramics, textiles, photography, video, digital, sound, performance, sculpture, and installation. You set your own artistic course and develop a unique body of work by exploring the subjects that excite you most. 

Fine Art students at HCA have the creative freedom to explore diverse subjects such as identity, memory, storytelling, place, mark making, or form; or engage with a wide range of social, cultural, or political issues. 

You’ll also get involved with exciting collaborative events such as exhibitions, residencies, and site-specific responses. 

The course has been designed to provide students with the support, technical skills, and confidence to develop their work and meet the challenges of being a practicing artist today.  

Fine art course exhibition piece
Fine Art piece
Nyah Harper Fine Art painting
Fine Art piece
Fine Art piece, projection onto side of house
Fine art course piece
Fine Art piece

Make your mark


From day one at HCA, you will be an artist, exploring our world and developing your own voice. You will then get to express this through a wide range of media including paint, print, drawing, ceramics, textiles, photography, video, digital, sound, performance, sculpture, and installation. 

You set your own artistic course and develop a unique body of work by exploring the subjects that excite you most. 

Facts and figures

92.05

In the 2023/2024 NSS Survey HCA students rated the teaching on their course at 92.05. This is significantly higher than the sector average and something we aim to continuously improve on. 

2024 NSS

WHO WE WORK WITH

  • The Sidney Nolan Trust
  • New Art West Mids
  • The National Trust
  • Canwood Gallery
  • Studio Morison
  • Arts & Heritage
  • Meadow Arts
  • Hereford Museum and Art Gallery
  • Market Art Studios
  • Herefordshire Visual Artists Network
  • Division of Labour
  • National Association for Fine Art Education

RECENT VISITING SPEAKERS INCLUDE

  • Bob and Roberta Smith
  • Jeremy Deller
  • Martin Parr
  • Anabelle de Gersigny
  • Laura White
  • Nat Pitt
  • Heather Peak
  • Frances Disley
  • Guerrilla Girls
  • Laura Ritchie
  • Marie-Anne McQuay
  • Simon Whetham
  • Katrina Stamatopoulos

FINE ART CAREER PATHS

  • Fine Artist
  • Arts Management
  • Producer - Public Arts Project
  • Gallery/Museum Curator
  • Public/Private Commissions
  • Art Teacher/Lecturer
  • Community Artist
  • Art Agent
  • Arts Administrator
  • Exhibition/Festival Organiser
  • Digital Media Artist
  • Art Therapist
  • Art Handler
  • Gallery Manager

Feed your imagination


HCA students have the creative freedom to explore diverse subjects such as identity, memory, storytelling, place, mark making, or form; you may delve into deeply personal or autobiographical topics, or much broader social, cultural, or political issues. You will also get involved with exciting collaborative events such as exhibitions, residencies, and site-specific responses. 

Each member of our staff team is themselves a practicing fine artist. You will develop your own practice alongside us - not under us - and we will support you to develop the skills and confidence you need to meet the challenges of being a practicing artist today. 

Woman in purple next to a historical hut

Project Space

Every week we turn our White Box project space over to one student - who does whatever they want with it, from Pro Wrestling performance art to exhibitions of oil-paint portraiture. Each Thursday the featured artist then introduces the work and talks about the concept behind it to fellow and staff.

What that looks like

Art Camp

Every October Fine Art students go to ART CAMP. Hosted in the beautiful grounds of Sidney Nolan's estate, the multi-day trip is a chance to draw influence from nature, connect with fellow students and make baked potatoes on a open fire.

More on the Sidney Nolan Trust

A community you can make your own


You will get the chance to explore the breadth of the subject through small group teaching in a thriving studio environment. 

Studying in our specialist arts college will make it easy for you to transgress boundaries and produce interdisciplinary work. 

You will be supported in finding your own creative voice through your art practice. 

Our smaller group sizes allow us to recognise each student as an individual, developing a unique practice. 

Through group activity, you will develop a strong foundation in communication and collaboration that will help you have impact in the wider arts world. 

Meet the team

What you will learn

EXPERIMENTATION

The first year is very much about asking questions. What are the limits of drawing? What can’t be a landscape? 

We’re interested in how students think through their responses, not in having everybody answering in the same way. 

You’ll have an induction into all the college workshops, including ceramics, print, 3D, textiles and photography.  Specialist workshops throughout the year will help you to explore a diversity of materials and processes.  

You will also learn the ICT and research skills you need to tackle assignments in this and subsequent years and begin to understand something of the theory and context of fine art.  By the end of the year you will have begun to get a feel for the ideas and materials that excite you and will be able to make choices about your creative path through the second year. 

DEVELOPMENT

As you begin to develop your own practice, you will start to formulate the important questions you want to explore.

 You will be experimental, curious and take risks as you begin to develop into an informed, skilled, independent practitioner. 

You will begin to consider more clearly your professional ambitions after graduation and, in the second semester, you will take part in a group exhibition of your work in a professional gallery context. 

Second Year students organise, advertise and curate the exhibition, gaining valuable professional experience. 

CONFIRMATION

The year begins with an opportunity to re-think and re-explore your ideas and practice and then to create a substantial body of practical work that confirms and clarifies your ideas and thinking. 

You will also research and present a focused and extended critical enquiry in an area relevant to your own practice. You will also create a highly specialist and professional portfolio of work and relevant promotional materials. 

The course culminates in an End of Course exhibition which gives you the opportunity to present your work to a wider audience. There are a number of prizes, exhibition opportunities and residencies offered to graduating students and you will also have the opportunity to meet curators and gallerists, and other representatives of the creative industries. 

You will graduate with the knowledge and skills you need to begin your life as a professional contemporary artist. 

Connected to the world

We are proud to be rooted in 170 years' worth of history in Hereford. 

But as a student on this course you will be connected to world - from projects to partnerships and visiting lectures, this course will broaden your horizons as an artist and as an individual.

FIND OUT HOW >>>

Our Fellows

We are lucky to have some very esteemed, very active Honorary Fellows support the College. 

Clare Woods RA, Ivan Morison, Seetal Solanki and Sir Roy Strong are among those who are actively engaged with the college and its students.

They bring both outstanding insight and significant connections which benefit all our courses.

Woman in purple next to a historical hut

Work on major public projects

You will have the opportunity to get real experience, and develop new skills by being able to observe and participate in large-scale public art projects.

Fine Art students have recently worked on an Arts Council England project for the National Trust under the leadership of Studio Morison's Heather Peak, they made work and installed group show at the European Parliament in Brussels and are about to take on paid commissions for a sculpture park in Wales - again under the tutelage of an experienced lead artist.

Public exhibitions

Along with a Degree Show that attracts thousands of visitors every year you will be able to build your experience and your profile by learning to stage public exhibitions. 

Students exhibit at the regional and national venues, including leading UK grad show Free Range at the Truman Brewery in London and have featured at the Coventry Biennale.

Smaller campus shows and local exhibitions at the likes of the Canwood Gallery and the museum of cider enable students to start showing work early on in the time at HCA.

Trips and visits

You will be encouraged to build your influences while at HCA, and group trips are a part of that.

Trips include regional visits to the likes of Bristol, Coventry and the Yorshire Sculpture Park as well as international trips with students recently going to Paris and the Venice Biennale.

At HCA you will have excellent access to tutorial support from experienced practicing artists and curators as well as expert technical assistance. Visiting professional artists will further enrich your learning experience. 

Tutorials, seminars and group critiques will help you develop your reflective and analytical abilities and visiting lecturers will bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives to help you to expand your understanding of fine art practice and to contextualise your own work. 

We believe in fostering a real studio culture and so as a Fine Art degree student, you get your own, individual desk space, to make, create or just pinboard your influences. 

You also get full access to all HCA's several specialist workshops and performing spaces across both campuses. You do not need to book in to use the Textiles Workshop or to get an introduction on using a lathe in the 3D maker space. You can use the photography studios and darkrooms, or edit mixed media work in the new Digital Skills Centre with one-on-one support from specialist staff.

We support you to pursue your interests across disciplines and experiment in a range of media. Access to facilities is an integral part of that.

 

Through Critical Studies, you can gain fascinating insights into the subject you love. You will explore your specialism and the work of those you admire. 

We will help you to see your own practice in context with your peers and predecessors; leading to, not only a deeper understanding of the work of others, but who you are as an artist. The things you discover in Critical Studies will help you answer the question: where do I want to take my arts practice? 

fill me in 

Applying to HCA

  • Minimum age 18.
  • UCAS Points: For anyone applying for September 2025 entry and beyond, we are looking for applicants who have achieved at or beyond 96 – 112 UCAS Tariff Points. 

    However, whilst qualifications are important, our offers are not solely based on academic results. We may make offers based on other evidence of talent and suitability for the course –  for more details about UCAS Tariffs please see tariff explanation and advice on the UCAS website

  • Mature students: Applications from mature students with relevant experience will also be considered.
  • Recognition of Prior Learning Opportunities: the college welcomes applications from students with prior learning and/or previous experience. Further details on eligibility can be found on page 15 of our Admissions Policy.
  • Applicants whose first language is not English – proof of IELTS overall score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all sections (reading, writing, listening & speaking) is required.

If you are unsure or have any questions, please contact us at registry@hca.ac.uk and we can offer further advice on HCA and the UWTSD awarding body requirements.

You can apply at any point during the year directly to HCA, or you can choose to apply via UCAS.

We receive a high number of application all our subject areas so we recommend that you make your application as early as possible.

You can find out out everything you need about the application process using the link below. If you have any questions, just email registry@hca.ac.uk

As soon as you apply, our Registry team will be in touch to let you know they have received your application. At this point they will also send out information on portfolios or auditions.

Portfolios and auditions are a chance for you to showcase yourself in a different way. They give us an idea of what excites you about the subject, and what you might want to explore further on the course. 

We will send out guidance on how to submit your portfolio, or book and audition date, and if you have any questions you will always be able to reach out to us for assistance or clarification.

After submitting your portfolio online, your work will be reviewed by a course lead, and you will receive personal feedback alongside your offer.

Studying is an investment in yourself, and in your future. It’s important to understand the financial support that is available to you, and to be clear about any fees or funding associated with the course you want to study.

Follow the link below to visit our Fees and Funding pages. These pages are designed to help you plan for your future, so you can start your course with confidence in your financial situation.

Everyone’s personal circumstances are different. If you can’t find the information you need, our Student Finance team can offer additional advice.

Course news

Your degree

All undergraduate degrees at HCA are validated by University of Wales Trinity St David.

You can view a detailed breakdown of the course content in the Key Information Document.

This can be downloaded below.

How to apply

Everything you need to know about applying to HCA - and starting the next stage of your journey as an artist

Apply now

Book an open day

Chat to students. Tour the campus. Drop in on some free workshops. Our Open Days are a great way to get a feel for what makes HCA special.

Book an open day

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